Five Hours to Die
by AlexFan4Life
Summary: Steve has 5 hours to save Catherine before she's taken away from him forever. Can he save her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**

One of these days I **WILL** claim victory and call them mine!

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_Valentine's Day, 2014 – 9:30 AM_

The day started like any other. Danny started ranting the moment he got in the car. "Could this day get any worse? All I wanted was a simple cup of black coffee… that's it! But nooooo, my damn coffee pot exploded on me, literally. I ruined my favorite tie, you know, the one Grace gave me for Father's Day. And like THAT wasn't enough, when I put on a clean shirt, I was so pissed about the coffee I ripped the sleeve on the new shirt when I was putting it on!" Danny was now screaming while Steve just sat there staring out the windshield just waiting Danny out.

When it seemed that Danny's rant had finally slowed to a low simmer, Steve looked over at him and said "Are you done? Cuz if you are, we've got a case. Let me know now though if you'd like me to turn around and drop you back off at home so you can go back to bed and start this day over. I can call the bad guys and let them know you're having a shitty day and to maybe hold off on killing anyone else until tomorrow." Steve turned to Danny with his 'I'm-the-funniest-guy-on-the-planet' face and grinned smugly.

"You're not even remotely funny, you know that right?" Danny waved both hands through the air as if trying to prove his point. "Okay, so tell me what this case is before I shoot you myself."

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Twenty minutes later, the Camaro pulled up to the crime scene. Steve and Danny got out and immediately searched out Chin and Kono, who were standing over the victim listening to Max.

"Hey, so what've got?" Steve said as he stood with his arms crossed listening intently as Chin prepared to fill him and Danny in on what they had so far.

"The victim's been identified as Navy Lieutenant Sally Parker, she's 32, and lived…" Chin had barely gotten started when Steve finished "here on Oahu." Danny, Chin, and Kono all looked at Steve as he dropped his arms and immediately walked over to the victim with the others trailing right behind him.

The body was now covered with a tarp, so Steve knelt down and carefully lifted the tarp to confirm that it truly was Sally. He swallowed deeply as he took in her appearance. The body looked peaceful, all except for the deep, dark circles around her eyes and the blood that had dripped out of her ears, nose, and mouth. Nothing else looked amiss; she was dressed in her blue fatigues, and her purse lay right beside her, still hanging over her shoulder.

Kono looked first to Chin and then Danny and then went ahead and asked the million dollar question. "Boss, do you know this woman?"

Staring at the body, Steve answered "Ya, she's Catherine's friend. They both served on the Enterprise together until Cath's retirement." Steve wondered if the two of them had been in touch since her ceremony back in October. He wasn't looking forward to breaking the news to her about her friend, especially about the gruesome nature of her death.

Standing up, Steve turned to his team "We HAVE to find out who did this. Chin and Kono, you go see Max and check on TOD. Danny and I will head to the office and see if Cath's there yet. She had an appointment at Pearl and then was heading in. She'll have Sally's parents' number for notification. I'm pretty sure she mentioned once that they lived here on Oahu as well. Hopefully Cath's been in touch with her recently and maybe knows what all she might've gotten mixed up in. Call when you've got something from Max."

With that, they all walked towards their cars and left for their assigned destinations.

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Once in the car, Danny noticed that Steve's mind was someplace else. "Hey, what's up, babe?" Not getting a response, he tried a little louder this time "Steve! What, you wondering where your subscription to Guns & Ammo went, huh babe?" Danny knew that wasn't the case, but tried some levity to grab Steve's attention.

Steve bit the inside of his cheek and gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. Finally he spoke. "Danny, I've seen this before."

"What do you mean you've seen this before? Seen what?" Danny looked puzzled.

"THIS! The way Sally looked." Steve sighed heavily and continued. "On a mission six years ago, we had tracked this chemical terrorist all over the Middle East. After about six months, my team finally got solid intel and was sent in to take him out. We breached his compound at night and took out several targets and secured the chemical weapons. The mission was a success. At least that's what we thought. By the time we got back to base, Green was already sick. Danny, it happened so fast. Within a couple of hours he was dead and we were all placed in quarantine for 48 hours while they tried to figure out what the hell killed him."

"Steve, this wasn't your fault. You were following orders. The mission WAS a success. You quite possibly saved _**millions**_ of lives by finding those weapons."

"I know Danny, but Green was only 24 years old. He was just a kid."

"Yes, a kid who chose to be a SEAL, Steven. He was a kid who proudly served and protected his country, just like you did and still do. I know I always bitch at you and your over-zealous ways, but Steve, you're hero, and so was Green."

"Thanks man, but I was just doing my job, and so was Cath." Instantly, Steve turned to Danny with a panic-stricken look on his face. "Cath… Oh god Danny! Catherine was the intel officer on that op."

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Steve pulled abruptly into their parking spot at the palace. As he and Danny got out of the car, Steve quickly tried Cath's cell phone. "Damn it! Voicemail, again!"

"Steve, don't panic, you said she was at Pearl. Maybe she's in a meeting and can't answer. Or she's not getting cell reception where she's at." Steve was now in a full-on sprint into the building and up the stairs to the Five-0 offices. Danny struggled to keep up, but his mouth didn't. "STEVE! Slow down! I'm sure Cath's just fine."

As the guys entered the office, neither one expected to see Chin and Kono, because they were still with Max. But Steve definitely hoped to see Cath and she wasn't there.

Breathing heavy from the sprint up the stairs, Danny huffed "See, like I said, no need to panic. She's probably still at Pearl."

Steve finally calmed down a bit and took in his surroundings. She hadn't been there yet, so maybe Danny was right. Just then Steve's phone rang.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you for all of the follows and reviews. This is my first stab at a multi-chapter story, so you're all very much appreciated.**_

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_Five-0 Headquarters – 11:30 AM_

Steve looked at the caller ID and didn't recognize the number, so he gruffly answered "McGarrett."

"_Commander, Commander… I'm assuming that tone in your voice means you found Sally this morning."_ Steve immediately turned to Danny and put the phone on speaker so they both could hear.

"Who is this?" Steve questioned.

"_Oh come on now Commander. You haven't been gone from the SEALs that long, have you? Are you getting a bit slow in your old age?"_ The man laughed.

"What have you done? Where's Lt. Rollins?" Steve swallowed and started to fear for the worst.

Danny saw the look on Steve's face, stepped a few feet away from Steve so the voice on the phone wouldn't hear him, and immediately pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Catherine himself. Unfortunately, he got her voicemail, just like Steve did. He then called Chin and Kono. "Guys, get back to HQ now!" Not waiting for them to respond, he hung up and turned back towards Steve.

"_Right about now, Lt. Rollins is at home receiving a Valentine's Day delivery from you Commander; a big nice bouquet of red roses with a sappy note expressing your undying devotion and love. Just what any girl would want to get from her man, am I right? Seemed appropriate considering what today is."_ The voice was now serious and lacking all emotion. _"By the time you get to her it'll be too late McGarrett, just like it was for my baby brother."_

"YOU SICK BASTARD!" Steve screamed. "What have you done? And why now after all this time?" If Steve wasn't panicking before, he was now.

While Steve talked, Danny tried calling Catherine three more times, but it kept going to voicemail. Danny was now just as panicked as Steve was, so he called Dispatch and sent a patrol car to the McGarrett house and warned them of a potential threat to Catherine.

"_Why now? You actually have the gall to ask me 'why now' after what my brother suffered through? If it wasn't for Lt. Rollins' intel and YOU leading Andy to his death, he'd still be here! SO DON'T FUCKING ASK ME 'WHY NOW'!"_ The voice on the phone screamed.

Just then, Steve saw Kono and Chin running into the office. Steve paused and waited a moment before responding to allow Chin and Kono to get within earshot of him so between what Steve had told Danny in the car, and what he was about to say, they'd all catch on and know what to do.

Steve looked at his team and then spoke calmly. "Tommy, what happened to Andy was horrible, but he knew the dangers when he became a SEAL. He swore to protect our country and its people. He was protecting you, Tommy. Andy sacrificed himself so YOU could live." Steve paused for a moment and the silence made Steve hopeful that he had reached Tommy and that he would stop this before it was too late. "Let's stop this Tommy before more people have to die. You already killed Sally. I'm guessing that's how you found out about Catherine."

At this point, Danny had all of the information he needed to give to Chin and Kono so they could search for Tommy Green. In a low voice, he started telling them what he knew. "Okay, here's what we've got. The sicko on the phone is Tommy Green. He's the older brother of Andy Green, one of Steve's SEAL brothers that died during a mission six years ago today. It seems he used our victim this morning, Lt. Parker, to gain access to mission op information and found out that Catherine was the Naval Intel Officer on the op that got Andy Green killed."

Chin and Kono both started typing away on the tech table keyboards trying to pull up as much information as they could. Chin started to trace the call. While the trace kept bouncing from tower-to-tower all over the world, Kono searched for information on Tommy Green. What popped first was easy to find. Tommy Green had lived right here on Oahu and was a former chemist for the CDC until he disappeared three months ago. As they kept searching, Danny continued telling them the whole story.

"Andy died after the mission was over, but it was from an unidentified poison that he had come in contact with. They weren't able to find an antidote in time before he died. Steve and the rest of his guys were quarantined for two days after the op to make sure they hadn't been infected. And now he holds Steve _and_ Catherine responsible for Andy's death."

"_Ah, very good Commander."_ Tommy spoke more calmly now, which worried Steve. _"Sally figured out I was just dating her for information. I couldn't let her tell Lt. Rollins or you, now could I? You see, Sally and Andy had a thing before he died. So it was easy to be the distraught brother and supportive friend. It took no time for her to fall for me and after that it was just a matter of time before she started doing favors for me."_

"Is this what Andy would've wanted? Because Tommy, if anything has happened to Catherine, I **will** kill you." Steve gritted through his teeth.

Just then, Danny's phone rang. Steve looked up hoping that it was Catherine. Danny shook his head no and quickly answered. He looked Steve straight in the eyes as he said "Okay, thanks" and then hung up. Steve knew it wasn't good when Danny walked emotionless towards him never losing eye contact.

Steve couldn't control himself now. "GOD DAMN IT TOMMY! I AM GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND **KILL** YOU!"

"_Tsk, tsk Commander. Now you'll suffer losing someone close to you just like I did. You'll never find me and you'll never find the antidote."_ Tommy said, not realizing he just gave Steve hope that he could still save Catherine. Suddenly, the call went dead.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks again for all of the nice comments. They're very encouraging and much appreciated.**_

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_Five-0 Headquarters – Noon_

"She's at Pearl. Tell me she wasn't home, Danny. TELL ME!" Steve said with a painful look on his face.

Danny had been the bearer of bad news to several families of lost ones over the years. But he never thought he'd have to tell someone close to him that what they feared the most was what had happened. He could see that Steve was trembling as he began to speak. "It appears that Cath received a bouquet of flowers, just like Tommy said. They found them sitting on a nightstand in your bedroom." Danny sighed. "I'm so sorry Steve. They found Catherine on the floor of your bathroom."

Before Danny could continue, Steve interrupted him. "Oh god, is she?" He couldn't finish that sentence. The thought of him losing Cath while he was on the phone with her killer, just like he had been when his dad was murdered, made Steve sick to his stomach and a bit light-headed as he leaned back against the tech table for support.

"NO! No, she's at Tripler in quarantine. They wanted to make sure she wasn't contagious. Once confirmed, she'll be moved to a regular room to make her comfortable while they figure out what the hell this poison is. I had HPD put a guard at her door, just in case."

Steve exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in. "Okay, okay.. So, where are we on Tommy? What've we got?" Steve knew that the clock had already started on Catherine. There was no time to waste. "He mentioned an antidote before he hung up. We've gotta find it."

"Steve, don't you want to go be with Catherine?" Kono gently placed her hand on Steve's folded forearms. "We can handle this, Boss."

"No." Steve said staring straight ahead at his team.

"Kono's right, babe. Let us handle this. Go be with Catherine, she needs you right now." Danny implored, but Steve wasn't having any of it.

"NO! Now…" Steve took a calming breath. "What do we have so far on Tommy?"

Danny gave Kono an encouraging look so she began. "Looks like Tommy Green was a chemist for the CDC until about a year ago. He was living here on Oahu until 3 months ago when he just simply vanished."

Chin added, "according to the CDC, he was let go when he became obsessed with creating an antidote to the poison that killed his brother Andy. The military had taken possession of the poison and he was upset about the lack of attention it was getting. He became violent and attacked his boss when he was approached the day he was escorted from the lab."

"What about Sally Parker? Tommy admitted getting close to her to garnish favors. Do we know what all that entailed?" Steve started to get agitated as he glanced at the clock.

"We're still looking into that."

"LOOK FASTER!" It was Chin's turn for Steve's wrath.

"Alright. Let's go, babe." Danny grabbed the front of Steve's shirt and started pulling him towards the door. "Let's go see how Catherine's doing, ok? Let Chin and Kono do their jobs before you go all bad-ass Navy SEAL on them." Steve ran his fingers through his hair and down over his face and started following Danny.

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Once they were outside the building, Steve and Danny walked towards the car, with Steve walking to the passenger side without hesitation. Danny now knew how shaken Steve was. He would never let Danny drive his own car without putting up a fight.

As they got in the car, Danny kept an eye on Steve as he started the car. Steve was sitting there staring out the window as if his mind was a million miles away. Suddenly, he broke the silence. "I can't lose her Danny."

"You're not going to, ok. We're gonna find this asshole AND the antidote and you and your gorgeous Ramboette are gonna live happily ever after."

"Yeah." Steve sighed, resigned to the fact that their chances of saving her were dwindling with every tick of the clock.

"YEAH! We're not gonna let her end up like Sally. Plus, she's too much like you, babe. She's tough and stubborn as hell and won't let something like this be what takes her down."

"I sure hope you're right Danny. I never thought I could have a future with someone. But ever since Cath moved in, I can see it, and I want it."

"Have you told her how you feel?" Steve finally turned to look at Danny with an incredulous look on his face. "What? What's with the face? My marriage may not have worked, but I do know a little something about women, and one thing for sure is you HAVE to tell them how you feel. You can't assume that they just know. Unless you both have some sort of super power that you guys developed in the Army that I don't know about." That finally got a small chuckle out of Steve.

"That's more like it. Now, let's get you where you need to be so I can go get the bastard and save this future you talked about," Danny said as he put the car in reverse and headed to the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A more emotional Steve than we typically see on the show. Hope this doesn't bother anyone. This is the side of Steve that I think the show doesn't show often enough. Alex kills these scenes and should be given more meat to work with sometimes. Bad ass Navy SEALS can be sensitive too, right?**_

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_Tripler Army Medical Center – 1:30 PM_

As Steve and Danny entered the hospital, the first person they saw was Max. _What was Max doing here already? It couldn't already have happened._ All sorts of negative thoughts ran through Steve's mind as they approach each other. "Max, what are you doing here?"

"Commander, I heard about Lieutenant Rollins and came to help."

"I'm not sure what you can do here, Max. She's been poisoned with something we encountered on a mission six years ago. Somehow our guy has gotten his hands on it and wants revenge. Catherine only has a few hours left before…" He looked ashen and couldn't finish the sentence.

Seeing how distraught Steve was getting, Danny threw him a lifeline, sort of speak. "Hey, let's go find her, ok babe?"

Max yelled at Steve as he walked away, "Commander, Lieutenant Rollins is up on the third floor in room 121."

Danny smiled at Max and started waving at Steve's retreating figure and impolite manners. "Thanks Max. Steve's just worried about Catherine. I'm sure he appreciates your concern." Max gave a simple nod in appreciation. Danny then set off to catch-up with Steve.

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As Steve walked out of the elevator on the third floor, the first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. This floor cared for the seriously-ill and it had a very eerie feeling to it that made him a bit uncomfortable. The walls were painted an off-white color that looked more like death than the comforting feeling of the rest of the hospital. Along the outside corridors stood room after room. In the middle of the floor was a huge nursing station with a 360 degree view of all of the rooms. Quiet activity was going on. Steve must've been sporting a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look, because one of the nurses gave him a small smile and nodded towards Catherine's room.

Steve quietly approached her room and stopped just outside the door. As he paused for a moment, he noticed his hands were sweaty and had a slight tremor to them. He knew he needed to be strong, so he took a moment to collect himself before pushing on the door.

The door was heavy and creaked slightly, but Catherine didn't stir. She looked so peaceful, even though Steve knew how the poison was raging inside her, just waiting to strike. He quietly approached the bed and sat down on the edge next to her hip. He found himself just staring at her for several minutes before he picked up her hand that had been resting on her stomach. He bowed his head and closed his eyes as he started to subconsciously caress the back of her hand with his thumb. Her hand was still warm which gave him some relief.

Danny had finally caught up to Steve and now stood in the doorway and didn't make a sound. He rested against the doorway with his arms and legs crossed and his head leaning against the door jamb, and admired the vulnerability his partner revealed. For all bad-ass Navy SEAL Steve was, he was a real softie when it came to the people he loved. It was a side of the stoic SEAL that rarely anyone got to see, except those intimately close to him.

Steve was lost in thought about how far he and Catherine had come and endured in their relationship over the past eighteen months. He couldn't believe how fast the time had flown by. When Cath got permanently stationed at Pearl, she had become a constant in his life. For years, he had a hard time calling her anything more than "a thing," but he now hoped she knew how so much more she meant to him. Somewhere along the way she had become more than a "not my girlfriend" to someone he couldn't imagine living without.

That day when "El Condor" kidnapped her was the day it all started sinking in. And then, not even a month later, when she got shot the night Billy died, his heart hurt knowing he hadn't been there to protect her. Deep down, in the part of his heart and head that he doesn't talk about, he was glad it was Billy and not Catherine that died that night.

Since then, life had gotten somewhat back to normal. He took a deep breath and sighed as he remembered the desperation and anguish he felt.

At this point, Danny felt like he was intruding on a very private moment. His heart ached for his best friend. Steve had suffered through so much loss in his life. He knew this would devastate him if he lost Catherine. He quietly backed his way out of the doorway and found a chair outside of her room and began his vigil and tried to come up with a plan to get the sicko that was trying to take away the best thing that had ever happened to his best friend.

Steve still had his head bowed as he quietly prayed for the lead that would help find Tommy Green and save Catherine's life. Tommy had obviously succeeded in developing the antidote or he wouldn't have mentioned it on the phone, which meant there was still hope.

He couldn't help but think about earlier that morning, how they both hadn't spoken much to each other, wrapped up in their own morning rituals, both knowing they'd have more time together after work. Neither of them was big into the Hallmark traditions like Valentine's Day, having spent most of them apart and in different parts of the world. On rare occasions they'd spend the day together.

Steve slightly grinned at a more recent memory, remembering two Valentine's Day ago when Catherine's leave and their weekend plans had been interrupted with the Governor's black tie event and eventual case. However, Steve made up for it by scheduling his reserve drill so he could go back with Catherine when she returned to The Enterprise.

However, this being their first Valentine's as a traditional couple, Steve had planned a romantic dinner behind their house on the beach with luminaries softly lighting up the backyard. He wanted to show Catherine how important she was to him.

The clock was ticking and Steve knew how horrible this was going to be for Cath if they didn't find the antidote soon. The thought of Catherine going through what Andy did, caused tears to form in his eyes and a sniffle to escape.

Steve looked up right then and saw Cath staring at him with her dark brown eyes that always spoken volumes without uttering a single word.

"Hey…" Steve whispered and donned a small smile.

Catherine knew exactly what was going on. She had been there when Green died and saw what happened to Steve and the guilt that he felt for being his CO and not being able to help him. The look on Steve's face, the tears in his eyes, and the hoarseness to his voice told her that he was taking full responsibility for _everything_, even though all of it was out of his control. This strong man that, on a typical day, wouldn't let his emotions get in the way of doing his job, was now broken. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and grinned back.

"You know this isn't your fault, right?" Cath's throat felt like it was on fire and was hard to get the words out. She swallowed, trying to coat her throat with saliva, but there wasn't any. The dryness caused her to cough and squeeze Steve's hand like a vice. Steve stood, not letting go of her hand and with his other one, brushed her hair back from her face and placed a feather-like kiss to her forehead. She felt feverish and was shaking. "Oh god, Steve," Catherine gasped as Steve looked down and saw that Catherine had taken her free hand and wiped at her mouth, pulling back bloody fingers.

It had started.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I'm so overwhelmed with all of the support that I've gotten really excited and may post TWO chapters tonight. If I don't, it's not because I didn't want to, I may just have fallen asleep before I actually did it. LOL**_

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_Outside Catherine's Hospital Room – 2:30 PM_

Danny was just coming back from getting coffee and an update from Chin and Kono who were back at HQ, when Catherine's door flew open and Steve came rushing out screaming for a doctor. A doctor and nurse converged on Catherine's room immediately. Danny grabbed Steve's arm and pulled him back out of the way as the doctor and nurse entered Cath's room.

"Danny, let me go!" Steve struggled, determined to get back into Cath's room.

Holding Steve back, "Babe, give the doctor a minute. Hey, take a deep breath and just breathe. I just talked to Chin and Kono." Steve stopped trying to get back into Catherine's room, but his mind was definitely not paying 100% attention to what Danny was saying.

"Hey babe, look at me." Danny waited until Steve stopped fidgeting. "Chin and Kono have found that before Tommy disappeared, he had purchased 6 different properties all across the island. We're gonna go check 'em out."

"Let's go." Steve started to walk away, but Danny grabs him again to stop him.

"Steve, you need to stay here." Tugging on Steve's shirt he spoke again, "Babe, you need to stay here with Catherine. You need to be here for her."

"Danny… I… I can't save her if I stay here." Tears were threatening to slide down Steve's face as he choked out the words just above a legible whisper. The look on his face and the anguish in his voice just about killed Danny. Danny knew he had to play hard ball if he was going to get through to Steve. He knew Steve wouldn't forgive himself if he wasn't here when Catherine needed him.

"Do you trust me?" Those four words stopped Steve dead in his tracks.

"What?" Steve wasn't sure he heard Danny correctly.

"Do you trust me, Steve?" Danny slowly repeated, knowing that Steve heard him the first time, but was digesting what Danny had said.

"With my life." Steve said without hesitation this time.

"What about with Catherine's life?" Steve should've seen the question coming, but didn't. He knew Danny wasn't beyond a blow below the belt when it counted, and this was one of those times. Steve looked down and sighed.

"You know I do." Steve knew that Danny wouldn't stop until he found Tommy Green and the antidote. Danny was like a pitbull when it came to people fucking with his family, and Steve and Catherine were family.

"Then let me take care of this. You need to be strong for that gorgeous girlfriend of yours in there. One day, I plan on watching the two of you get married and grace this world with little ninjas hell bent on blowing up this island just like their daddy. Heaven help us!" This got a weak smile out of Steve. Mission accomplished. "Now, go back in there. Give Cath a hug for me and let me go end this. Call it an early wedding present." Steve gave a subtle nod and watched Danny walk away until he was out of sight.

"Hurry Danny… please."

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As Steve entered the room, all he noticed was the silence. Cath had her head turned towards the window as if to not pay attention to what the doctor was telling her.

"Ah, Commander McGarrett, I presume. I'm Major Tyler. I was just telling Lt. Rollins about the poison that's in her bloodstream and that the lab is working furiously to find an antidote. I'm afraid I can't give her anything for the pain or the discomfort while we wait for fear that it might interact in a harmful way with the poison. Until we know more about what this is, we can't take any chances. I'm sorry the news isn't more hopeful. I'll be back in an hour to see how she's doing." The Major extended his hand out to Steve, who took it and shook it politely.

Once the doctor left, Steve turned to Catherine, who was still staring out the window. He sat down again in the same spot he had vacated a half hour ago when the bleeding first started. They both sat in silence for what felt like an hour, but had only been a few minutes.

Cath was the first to speak, still not turning her head around to look at Steve. "You're going to have to be strong and finish this even after I'm…" The last word went unfinished as Steve grabbed her hand and willed her to look at him.

"Please look at me. Cath, I need you to look at me." Steve pleaded having a hard time containing his emotions. Cath slowly turned her head and Steve lifted her palm up to his cheek and held it there while he gently spoke. "You're gonna be ok. Danny's out looking for Tommy right now. He's gonna find the antidote." Steve paused, hoping Cath would see the truth in his eyes and believe she would be okay. "We're gonna have a lifetime together. I can't do _this_ without you."

Cath slowly stroked Steve's cheek. "Max told me about Sally. You're gonna have to be strong, ok? I need to know you're going to be okay." Tears streaked down her cheeks.

"I'm not going to lose you!" Steve leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then rested his head on her shoulder with his ear pressed to her heart so he could hear her heartbeat. Cath slowly stroked her fingers through his hair to comfort him.

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On the other side of the island, Danny and Chin were racing against time. Both knew that the clock was ticking, and that there wasn't much time left. Neither of them wanted to stop and consider the consequences if they failed. Failure wasn't an option today.

They had just cleared their fourth warehouse when Kono called. "Kono, I sure hope you're calling with good news. We just cleared our fourth warehouse and nothing. It looks like it's been abandoned this whole time."

"I'm not surprised. I started thinking about how Sally Parker fit into all of this. Tommy used her for favors and intel, why not use her, or at least her name, to buy and hide a piece of property? So, I checked into her background and financials and found that she or Tommy purchased an old building that was in foreclosure about 3 months ago. Where are you right now?"

"We're just leaving Kapolei, why, where is it?" Danny and Chin were hopeful that this was the lead they were waiting for as they ran to Danny's Camaro.

"Kailua. Oh god Danny, you'll never make it in time."


	6. Chapter 6

_**One more chapter left after this one.**_

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_Catherine's Hospital Room – 4:30 PM_

Catherine whispered so softly that if Steve hadn't been sitting so close and looking right at her, he wouldn't have heard her breathlessly say "T-take me… h-home." Steve knew it was time.

Without saying a word, Steve stood up and pushed the sheet off of Catherine's legs. He tucked one arm under her knees, and the other under her shoulders and back, and lifted her up into his arms. Catherine used what energy she had left and wrapped her arm around his shoulders and then tucked her head into his neck and closed her eyes. She wanted her final breath to be taken at home on their private beach wrapped lovingly in Steve's embrace, right where the two of them spent countless moments together.

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As Steve pulled into the driveway, he unhooked his seatbelt and turned to look over at Cath with tears in his eyes. He promised her he'd be strong, but wasn't sure he could follow-through on this one. He sat for a quiet moment and just stared at her. She had her eyes closed and looked like she was at peace. Steve was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions and had to get out of the car right then or he thought he'd suffocate.

He frantically grabbed for the door handle and pushed it open. He then stumbled and fell to the ground. Not noticing the gravel that embedded itself in his palms, he crawled to the grassy yard and dry-heaved until he was sobbing uncontrollably. He had lost so many people from his mom and dad to several of his SEAL brothers over the years, and now he was going to lose the only woman he'd ever loved.

After he had no more tears left, Steve picked himself up off the grass, brushed himself off, wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, exhaled a huge sigh, and slowly walked over to the passenger side door. Upon opening it, Cath opened her eyes and cracked a very faint smile. Even after everything she'd suffered, Steve thought she looked beautiful. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead as he unhooked her seatbelt.

He picked her back up and cuddled her body to his as he walked around the house through their Plumeria and Hibiscus garden to the backyard and down to the chairs that sat at the edge of their private beach. The huge Banyan tree branches created a perfect, little shady piece of heaven, while still allowing a full-view of the ocean. Steve sat down and kept her wrapped in his arms as she sat snuggly in his lap.

After 10 minutes of nothing but the ocean waves slapping against the shore and the light breeze cooling her face, Cath whispered "so… beautiful…" Her breath was labored now as she struggled to talk. Steve knew it wouldn't be long. Cath tilted her head back slightly and reached up and cupped his cheek causing him to look down at her. "It's okay…" Like always, she was more worried about him than herself.

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat and tried not to cry, but wasn't being very successful. He blinked to try to clear his teary vision, but tears streamed down his face. All he could manage was a simple nod.

They stared at each other for just a moment, saying everything words couldn't. A slight breeze tickled Steve's face and Cath slowly closed her eyes. Steve pulled her as close to him as possible and took a deep breath and soaked in all her smells. He held her tight to his heart, right where he knew she would always be… forever.

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Steve had no idea how long he had been sitting there when Danny came running towards him yelling "WE GOT IT STEVE! WE GOT IT BABE!" He didn't even acknowledge Danny as he stared out across the horizon as the sun slowly set. "Steve?"


	7. Final Chapter

_Valentine's Day, 2015 – Sunset_

"Steve? STEVE?!" Steve shook his head to clear his thoughts as he was startled back from the daydream that had embraced him. He couldn't help but think back over the last twelve months. They had been the most challenging of his life. But here he stood on _their_ private beach; the beach where they had shared so many precious moments together, ready and anxious to move on with the rest of his life.

His heart suddenly skipped a beat as he watched the most breathtaking sight walk towards him down a path of luminaries that lit up the sky just enough for him to see her. She was beautiful. She glowed in a white sundress that moved slightly as the breeze caught it just right. She wore her hair down with a white hibiscus flower behind her left ear; a simple gesture to those unaware of the Hawaiian custom. To Steve, it meant she was his, forever. A voice whispered just to Steve's left, "you're one lucky man, babe."

_**flashback**_

_Danny and Chin arrived at the warehouse in Kailua. From the outside it looked deserted. However, once they approached quietly and gained access in the back through a broken window, they knew they were in the right place._

_Tommy Green was sitting at a table that was covered in beakers and test tubes. He was mesmerized by the news on his computer. Blaring in the background was a police scanner. He appeared to be almost giddy at the prospect of hearing and seeing news of Catherine's demise._

_Danny and Chin inched their way closer, with hopes of catching him off-guard. Unfortunately, Chin kicked a nail on the ground, alerting Tommy to an intruder and giving away his position. "Come out, I know you're there. If you don't, I'll destroy the antidote right now!" _

_Tommy had made one fatal flaw; he was pointing a gun at the vials of antidote that were sitting on the table, rather than picking them up. This gave Danny and Chin their opening._

_Chin stepped out from behind the crates that were about 20 yards in front of Tommy. He held up his hands in surrender so Tommy wouldn't shoot. He then calmly spoke, "Tommy, I'm Lt. Chin Ho Kelly of 5-0. I just want to talk."_

"_What, so you can talk me out of killing Lt. Rollins? Once she's dead, I'm coming after McGarrett! That bastard is going to die, just like Andy did!" Tommy then cocked the gun._

_Danny knew there was no time left. He quickly stood from where he was crouched down, aimed his gun, whispered "Fuck this!" and shot Tommy right between the eyes. Game over._

_Chin grabbed the vials and they ran out the door to the Camaro, turned on their lights and sirens, and sped off to Tripler as fast as they could. Once they were on the highway, Chin called Kono to give her an update, and found that Steve had taken Catherine home so she could be on their beach with Steve in her final moments. Danny turned the car towards Steve's and floored the gas pedal._

_As they arrived at the McGarrett home, Danny ran to the backside of the house and saw Steve and Catherine sitting down by the water. He ran towards them yelling, "WE GOT IT STEVE! WE GOT IT BABE!" Steve didn't even acknowledge Danny as he stared out across the horizon as the sun slowly set. "Steve?"_

_As Danny got closer, he could tell that Steve had Catherine held tightly in his arms, but neither was moving. As he moved around to the front for a better look, it appeared as if Steve was in a catatonic state, not acknowledging Danny's presence at all. "Babe, we have the antidote. Steve, did you hear me?"_

_Steve slowly looked down at Catherine and whispered, "I lost her, Danny." Danny reached his hand towards Catherine to feel for a pulse._

"_Steve…..."_

_**end of flashback**_

Without turning to look at Danny, Steve simply said "thank you." Those two words were full of so much meaning that they brought tears to Steve's eyes. Because of Danny, he would get the chance to have a lifetime of happiness with the woman that had captured his heart so many years ago. A life he never thought he'd have or deserved. He had come so close to losing her a year ago, that he vowed he would spend every moment of every day from now on making sure she knew how much he loved her. How much he loved Catherine Rollins.

_end_

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those that know me or have read my other stories, but felt the need to colorfully express yourself in your reviews, you **HAD** to know I wouldn't kill Catherine. LOL! There will **ALWAYS** be McRoll, no matter what they do on the actual show. Next story: been toying with McG whump (maybe capture and torture) and Cath playing the Heroine, but it depends on what inspires me over the next couple of weeks. Oh, and a small shout out to **FicreaderT**, who gave me the motivation to make every cliffie just a bit worse each chapter. Loved all your reviews! Thank you all!


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